The Digital Technology World.

Technology never stands still. The entire world of technology is constantly moving. This section describes the key dynamics.

Hardware and Energy.

Ever increasing Computing Power.

Driving most innovation in digital technology is the exponentially increasing computing power per $. Due to continuous advances in chip design (Moore’s Law), architecture, and software, the amount of computing power per $ spent enables ever bigger volumes of data to be processed with ever increasingly powerful models.

Figure 11. Computing power increases at an exponential rate. Source, Gerhard Fischer

Low Energy Computing.

The cost of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) in a computer is less than the cost of the electricity it takes to run it, so a system that takes fewer watts to do a job will be both economically and environmentally more desirable.

Many governmental agencies have continued to implement standards and regulations that encourage green computing. The Energy Star program was revised in October 2006 to include stricter efficiency requirements for computer equipment, along with a tiered ranking system for approved products.

Quantum Technologies.

Quantum technologies harness quantum physics to gain a functionality or performance which is otherwise unattainable.

Many of our existing technologies – including the microprocessor, solid state imaging devices, and the laser – are derived from quantum physics.  

As research and development picks up pace, several key areas of application are emerging, for example secure communications, accurate instrumentation, new material design, faster computers. 

With quantum sensors, MRI machines can be improved to gather ultra-precise measurements. This means that the MRI will have the capabilities to look at single molecules or grouped molecules.

The "holy grail" of quantum tech is quantum computing. Relatively low-powered quantum computers may be able to perform complex calculations at a rate that today's top supercomputers can't yet emulate.